Stuff of Legends
by one.twilight.sun
Summary: These are unconnected, short bits that I'll write over time of all those lovely scenes that one always assumes happened, but weren't seen between the Doctor and his Rose.  Featuring Rose, 9, 10 and company. Some AU.
1. Flash

_from LJ community **dw100**'s challenge 366: Flash._

**Flash**

He hadn't expected the night to turn out so well.

He'd been talking to Rose in the control room about the latest adventure, analyzing the tactics the Humbderans had used to intimidate them, when she'd done quite a normal thing and taken off her sweater because she was hot. Except her shirt had caught on the jumper and pulled up to reveal white creamy skin and, for a glorious half-second, her full and luscious breasts—_sans_ bra.

His body had nearly overloaded his Time Lord brain with thousands of ways to take advantage of the situation.

And he had—eagerly.

_A/N: Reviews?_


	2. And Then

**Author's Note: **_Written for "who_contest" drabble challenge #4 LJ. Prompt "burn". And can I say, writing drabbles is fun!_

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**And Then**

You can feel worlds and universes colliding in your head, the searing heat, the tempestuous flames licking at your insides. It's golden and hot and _burning,_ burning everything and anything you were, are, will be. She's inside you and you're inside her and don't know where one ends and the other begins. But you're united in one purpose, one _man _alone—the Doctor,_ your _Doctor. He must be safe.

You are where you were meant to be. _Bad Wolf__**. **_Spread across time, across space. You see the past, present and future. You see all future possibilities, all past might-have-beens; the here and now.

Small insignificant malicious beings cower in front of you, attempt to destroy what cannot be destroyed. They hide in their flimsy armor and you bring about their end with a thought. You are the Creator and the Bringer of Destruction.

"_My Doctor."_

His blue eyes pierce you like no other person or thing can. He doesn't believe who you've become yet he can't deny it. Because he _knows_. Perhaps he's the only person who _can _understand. And you need him, just as he needs you.

The fire consumes you, golden light is all you can see for a moment. Pain and ecstasy all rolled into one. You want to collapse with the weight of feeling, knowledge, power yet you feel like you're flying, dancing, _singing_ all at once. You don't know if you're excited or afraid as you're pushed and pulled to some unknown destination.

Then he's in front of you, smiling his smile for you. His warm—_burning—_mouth is on yours, time and space centered in this one moment, in this one place and you suddenly _see_. He'll _always_ be with you. He has a new face but he's still your Doctor. You run with him, you cry, you laugh and you die. You always find your way back to him and he finds his way back to you. The world ends and begins and you finally understand _why._

The flames of time forge a bond that can never _ever_ be broken.

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_Reviews are the food of writers._


	3. Rough

_These next 25 drabbles started out because I asked my friend to give me 25 words with which I was to use to relate to Doctor Who somehow. This was a great exercise to get that writer's blocked moved out of the way and for me to start being a little more prolific than I have been. I'm also have great fun writing these! Let me know what you think please!_

#1

_**Rough**_

The Doctor exited the wardrobe room, scratching his side, his face clearly communicating his uncomfortableness. He didn't know how she'd convinced him to change into period clothes—_well, _he did know but he wasn't going to admit it—because he never changed from his familiar suit _especially_ since the 15th century European period called for men in tights.

Rose turned at the sound of the Doctor entering the room, her elegant dress softly sweeping against the TARDIS floors. Her hand came up to her mouth to stifle a giggle as the Doctor made his way into the room, stretching and moving his legs as if to loosen up the cloth they were encased in.

Her eyes were naturally drawn to the male legs now exposed to her eyes with the tight fit and moved up to take in the codpiece over an area she had often fantasized knowing more about. Was the size decorative? Or was it actually _that _size? Her tongue poked out of her mouth.

"Rose, do you know how _rough _these—" He had been speaking as he'd walked in but cut himself off as he took in Rose's heated expression and the direction of her stare.

Abruptly she realized she'd been caught and her horrified eyes flashed to his before her face exploded in a furious blush and she turned to run out of the TARDIS. After a moment, the Doctor followed, a wide grin on his face and a swagger in his step.


	4. Happy

Numero Dós

_**Happy**_

There wasn't a word to describe how he felt, holding her in his arms after so many years. She was here with him and it was real. His eyes closed as he savored this moment, breathing in the scent of apples and lip balm and _Rose Tyler. _Her hair was still soft, her skin so warm. Her hugs were just as tight and her beautiful smile was so very bright.

He'd died for her once and had just about done it again but he didn't want to leave her right now, not just yet. As his cells had started regenerating, his one thought had been to stay with Rose, like this and he'd done just that.

Then he'd taken her in his arms. His Time Lord senses told him that this hug had lasted for 48 seconds but in his hearts, it felt like forever. He soaked up every detail of the moment, the joyous song of the TARDIS filling his mind.

Rose Tyler had found him.

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_Writers eat reviews like candy. I have a sweet tooth. Please indulge._


	5. Two Timing

[Number Three]

_**Two-timing**_

She knew she shouldn't feel like he was cheating on her. It's not like they were dating or even having sex as friends. She had no claim on him. Just because she lived under the same roof as him, cooked him food, went on adventures with him and had saved his life by destroying an entire species—none of this meant that he was _hers_ in anyway. Except he _was_.

She was angry, boiling-mad angry. And she was_ jealous_. She could admit that. Poor Mickey, she just took it out on him when all he was trying to do was get them home. At least he was still here with her.

Despite the fact that she was furious with him for trapping himself in another time, on a planet billions of miles away, for another woman; she still found herself unable to leave him. She had silently promised him forever and forever it would be.

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_I'd love to hear something from someone out there…_


	6. Beach

(I am Number Four)

_**Beach**_

The clink of the teacups barely masked the sigh issuing from Jackie Tyler. Here they were, in Alcudia, Spain for a rare family vacation and Rose was spending her time indoors. It had taken a heroic effort on the part of herself, Pete and Tony to get Rose to come with all of them instead of continuing to immerse herself in research. They may have succeeded in getting her out of the country, but they had yet to get her to go outside for more than five minutes.

Tony, not knowing the reaction his innocent question would get, had asked Rose to come with him to the beach. Rose had flinched, tears filling her eyes, and she'd gone into her room without another word. Little Tony, just six years old, hadn't understood his sister's rejection and was sulking in his own room.

Tears were rare for Rose these days, now that she'd made the Dimension Cannon her life, and one could almost think that Rose was okay but mention anything about "beaches" and she was again that twenty-year-old girl, standing shattered at Bad Wolf Bay.

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_I came, I saw, I asked for a review. :)_


	7. TARDIS

::The Fifth Kind::

_**TARDIS**_

"All right, no need to keep playing these games now." The Doctor stood in one of the TARDIS' hallways, hands on his hips. "I'm starving and I want to get something to eat." He cocked his head to the side, listening for the TARDIS' response. Taking the silence as assent, he walked a few steps down the hallway and stepped into one of the doors, hoping that the TARDIS was done having fun and would let him find the kitchen.

The room was pitch black save for a wooden door on the opposite end. As he approached it, he heard what could only be defined as a telepathic giggle. Suspiciously he glanced around but curiosity getting the better of him, he opened the door slowly and before he knew it, he'd been unceremoniously shoved from behind and out into a car park.

"What?" he exclaimed, turning to look behind him at the TARDIS. "What?" he repeated as the TARDIS engines fired up and she started to disappear before his very eyes. "What?" he said once more as the TARDIS and Rose left him stranded on the Powell Estates.

Inside the TARDIS, Rose was laughing herself silly on the captain's seat, echoing the TARDIS' own amusement. Eventually, they got themselves under control and Rose settled back into the leather of the seat. "Oh, he should be fine by the time we get back; Mum'll take care of him."

Rose nodded, getting out of her chair to run her hands over the controls, not that the TARDIS needed any steering at this point. "'Sides, how were we supposed to get him a surprise birthday present?" Rose grinned as the TARDIS' laughter echoed in her mind.

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_You like? Because I did!_


	8. Time Traveling

.The Sixth Story.

**_Time traveling_**

Had she really just refused to travel with him all over the known and unknown universes? His hands moved over the TARDIS controls without seeing them, too caught up in the fact of having been basically rejected. It'd been so long since he'd even considered having anyone else travel with him that the possibility of someone saying "No" when he finally offered was a bit mind-boggling—even for a Time Lord.

The events of the night flashed through his mind. The thrill of running with _someone _again, the plastic and dead stink of the warehouse, his brush with death and the angel who had come swooping from above to save him. Now that the excitement was over and it was just him again, he was able to admit to himself that he had considered not fighting at all when the Automatons held him and if it hadn't been for Rose…he quite possibly would've just died.

The weight of time and knowledge pressed down on him, the breath catching in his chest and he leaned forward over the console, trying to find solace in the steady music of the TARDIS. He couldn't continue on alone. He'd remembered what it felt like to be a little happy in the few hours he spent with Rose Tyler, remembered that there was something in the universe worth fighting _for _as opposed to just _against, _and he couldn't go on without it anymore.

Decision made, he ran around the console, directing his ship back to the moment when he had just left Rose standing at Powell Estates. As the TARDIS landed, he stuck his head out the door and said the only thing he could think of that might entice her to come:

"By the way, did I mention that it also travels in time?"

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_Thank you to those who have reviewed! And you, you stalker/unreviewer, I demand payment!_


	9. Crime Fighting

#Seven (not Nine, of Twenty-Five)

**_Crime-fighting_**

"So are you guys like Batman and Catwoman? Superman and Supergirl? Starsky and Hutch?"

The Doctor and Rose stopped trying to pull apart the wires of the cohesive cellular-reduction unit and glanced back at the young scientist with identical looks of annoyance mixed in with confusion.

Jordan, who had been unwittingly pulled into their current situation of world-saving, shrugged back at them. "What? You can't blame me for being a little curious at how you just happened to show up just as Lorthgar orders us to stay up as long as it takes so that this machine can be operational for February 29th and you just happened to know what his evil plans are and how to stop him."

The Doctor made a sound that was half laughter and half exasperation and turned back to his work, glancing at Rose who smiled back and stood up from her crouched position, wiping her hands on her jeans as she approached Jordan.

"Listen…Jordan, was it? We're not some sort of crime-fighting team. We're just a couple of people who want to make the world a better place. If he happens to be an alien who's the last of his kind who travels through time and space in a ship that's bigger on the inside with a human girl from the 21st century as his companion, who's to say we're anybody special?" She smiled brightly at him, her hands turned up in a careless expression.

Jordan gaped at her, suddenly realizing that these two might not quite be completely on center as the girl and the man—_alien_ next to her burst into uncontrolled laughter.

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_Reviews are love 3_


	10. Ice

=Eighth in Line=

**_Ice_**

Their laughter was grating to his ears, the sound of their self-absorbed happiness cutting into him repeatedly, the thin blades causing thousands of tears in his heart. She didn't even notice. At least he hoped she didn't notice, because if she had noticed, had seen that he was being shredded from the inside out and didn't care, he could die right there.

Rose had chosen to hang out with him while the Doctor tinkered around the TARDIS and Mickey had thought that for once, she had chosen him above the Doctor.

They'd been there for almost an hour, their chatter eventually settling into a comfortable silence as each had picked up an interesting book to look through, when the Doctor had come in. Rose had taken up most of the sofa as she'd proper herself up on one end and stretched her legs to the other side, her shoes on the floor. The Doctor quietly sat in the space left over, opening a book he'd taken off the shelf.

Mickey's shoulders had tensed when he'd seen the man walk in. He'd tried to ignore the feeling and continued looking through the pictures of _Ertaxkis: A History of Ships_. Then he'd heard Rose giggle. Glancing over, her mouth was turned up in that happy smile of hers and she'd pulled her feet closer to her while the Doctor continued to sit there, ostensibly just reading.

A few minutes later, Mickey heard her giggle again and the Doctor exclaim as her foot apparently connected with his side. From there, both had given up the pretense of reading and were currently waging a battle of who could tickle the other the most, completely ignoring the fact that he was _bloody sitting right there._

Despite the fire that burned beside him, Mickey felt encased in ice, from the inside out.

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_I'm loving your feedback! Thank you! I'm so hungry though for the thoughts of feelings of everyone here..._


	11. Blueberry

NiNtH

_**Blueberry**_

He briefly wondered if Rose was trying to kill him.

They were lying side by side on a stretch of land that had grass a hundred different shades of blue and a sky washed in the evergreen of pine trees of Earth. Today was one of those unusual respites from adventure and danger that left them in a mood for slow days and lazy movements.

He'd chosen the fourth planet from the Isein sun at this particular time period as it was currently uninhabited, though it would be turned into an ideal vacation spot of the universe in a century or two. But that was the soon-to-be and not the here-and-now, and he wanted to enjoy the time he had alone with Rose.

Rose, who was currently causing severe problems to both his hearts, his breathing (respiratory bypass be damned) and…other parts. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she propped herself up on an elbow to reach into the bowl of fruit they'd been sharing between them. He called them "blueberries" though they were two sizes larger and tasted like chocolate; the fruit at least _looked _like blueberries.

She shook back her blonde hair, showcasing her long slim neck and placed the blueberry between her lush pink lips and proceeded to _suck _on it, loudly and wetly. This continued for eighteen long seconds before she finally took the whole berry in her mouth and bit down, a low moan coming from the back of her throat as her eyes closed in ecstasy.

The Doctor's mouth was slightly agape at the sensual display. He was probably drooling, but he was too enthralled to bother to check. Maybe she was trying to kill him. At this point, he didn't care.

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_What's that I spy? Some kind words being flung my way? I accept! I accept!_


	12. Miscreant

::10th in line::

_**Miscreant**_

The sparkle is what had captured his attention. He'd been on his way back from the chippy when he'd passed a window with the rose-colored bracelet that currently glued his attention. He wanted it for Rose. Maybe as a thank you. _Thank you for coming with me despite the dangers you face_ or _Thank you for smiling at me every time I need you to_ or even _Thank you for being Rose_. He gazed dreamily into space, thinking of the look on her face if he were to present her with such a pretty thing.

Someone bumped him and he felt something rummaging in his coat pocket. "Oi! You'd better put back what you just took from me!" Whipping around, he caught the miscreant as she'd been about to turn and run. Surprised, the little girl dropped the item she had tried to steal. It fell and just before it hit the concrete, started spinning mid air. Her brown eyes were wide in wonder, her mousy brown hair falling out of her ponytail. He smiled wide, an amused snort escaping at the would-be thief's expression, a cross between fascination and fear.

Slowly she tore her eyes away from the floating, spinning top. Her small hands worked anxiously at the ends of her scarf as her eyes met the slightly crooked grin of the Doctor's. "'Ello!" he greeted her enthusiastically. She yelped and without another word, turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Staring after her, slightly confused, the Doctor shrugged and grabbed the floating top, moving it around with his hand as he made his way back to the TARDIS. As he stepped through the doors, Rose greeted him with a sparkling smile that sent tingles through his insides. He grinned goofily back at her and tossed the top in her direction. Automatically, she reached out to grab it, but it halted in mid air, spinning just in front of the console.

Her brown eyes widened in shock and her mouth rounded in surprise, as realization entered in. Pointing a finger at the baffled Doctor, she exclaimed, "It was you!"

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_Smiles mysteriously and asks, "A penny for your thoughts?" _


	13. Black

**Author's Note: This ended up much longer than my other drabbles and really should be considered more of a one-shot I guess.**

.:The Eleventh:.

_**Black**_

Her hands reached out blindly in front of her, trying to find something that she could hold onto, some stable point of reference. She could feel tears forming at the corner of her eyes. He'd told her not to wander off and what had she done? Wandered off, that's right.

She'd wanted to explore more of the alien marketplace he'd brought her to while he haggled with a ship-parts distributor over the price of a thingamajig for some timey-wimey device. So she'd just moved down a little ways and rounded the corner and had been swept up by the swarm of bodies moving through the narrow streets.

She'd tried to make her way back to the Doctor but she'd been pushed aside by a towering brute of an alien who had three eyes and talons as hands. It'd sprayed her with a gas that had scratched at her eyes and she'd fought it off and stumbled away only to find that she was now blind.

The world was black; there wasn't even a variation of shades of gray. It was just darkness. The marketplace seemed to have been swept up into a vacuum. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't feel anything. It was as if she was in space, with the stars not even shining.

It seemed like hours since she'd been with the Doctor and she was so scared. He didn't know where she was and she wasn't even sure she was on the same planet anymore.

"_Rose!"_

She turned left, hands out. Doctor! She swore she'd heard him. Trusting her instincts, she walked in that direction, ignoring the fact that she couldn't see her feet, that she wasn't even sure that she was still moving.

"_Rose! I'm right here! Where are you? Oh, if you're lost…find me. Follow me."_

Rose paused, realizing that she hadn't actually heard him with her ears. He was in her _mind_. And she could _feel_ his anxiety and his worry over her and an underlying emotion that swept through it all that sent her own heart racing, not in fear but in excitement. She followed the tug, the pull of emotions and saw a light in the distance, a horizon approaching.

As she moved towards it, a figure moved in front, blocking the light and moving towards her rapidly. She didn't draw away because she recognized him. "Doctor!" she started running in his direction and was swept up in a fierce hug, his lean arms picking her up and holding her as close as he could.

"Oh, Rose. Rose, Rose, Rose. You silly human. You magnet for trouble." The words seemed scolding but the tone was one of affection and with that underlying emotion that Rose was hesitant to label but which warmed her from the top of her head and down to her toes.

He put her down but kept a grip on her hand, grinning happily at her. "Alright, let's get out of here."

Rose looked at him in confusion and he just winked at her and tugged her in the direction of the light. She followed him, trusting him always.

And opened her eyes to find the Doctor cradling her head, one hand cupping her cheek, his face inches away from her. She stared at him, his head haloed in the afternoon light, his eyes closed in concentration. Slowly, his own eyes opened and met hers. He removed his hand and helped her sit up.

She took in the surrounding alley of the marketplace in a daze. For there had been a stray thought that had made it's way to her just before the Doctor had ended the mental connection, a thought that had rocked her world.

_Rose, my love_.


	14. Bicentennial

*~*Twelfth*~*

_**Bicentennial**_

What was with all the balloons and confetti? He brushed some stray pieces of fluff from his hair as he made his way through the festive party happening in a park of some planet that the TARDIS had decided to land him on. He gave an annoyed yet affectionate glance back at her as the crowd swallowed him up.

There were jugglers to his left: tossing fireballs and waterballs with careless abandon. A set of musicians sitting to the other side, playing a lively melody on what looked like gigantic sea shells. The inhabitants of this planet seemed to all have turned up for what was obviously a celebration of some kind. Their skin shades varied from an indigo to pastels of blue and purple; their hair looked like twisted black ropes that seemed to also double as a decoration as he saw it wrapped around various individuals' necks and wrists like jewelry.

The scene seemed vaguely familiar to the Doctor which he paid little attention to, having seen and done many things in his lifetimes. He'd taken the TARDIS to have his last great adventures before he had to die and just accepted his arrival on this planet as one more stop to Lake Silencio.

He beamed as he took in a holographic puppet show, the puppeteer underneath the stage, acting out the movements of the images above. It was a classic. Bickering husband and wife trying to kill each other. Smashing good fun.

He stood there a moment longer, his mind lazily making its course to past festivals when a glimpse of blonde hair momentarily stopped his hearts. Shocked, he turned towards the petite figure in pink as she came running towards him, head turned back to laugh at whomever was behind her. The moment stretched into infinity and he was unable to move, having forgotten (or buried) how she had made him feel.

The collision was inevitable and he caught her by the shoulders to still her as she turned her laughing but apologetic face up to him. "Sorry, there! Wasn't watchin' where I was goin'!" Her wide and brilliant smile was a wonder to him as were those bright brown eyes that he hadn't seen in a hundred years.

And all of a sudden he realized his capacity for love. He _loved_ this girl, Rose who had come back for him at the risk of her life, over and over again. But he also loved River, the woman traveling in the opposite direction. He loved Amy and Rory, the Ponds. He loved them all.

His companions and friends is why he had come so far and done so much. Maybe he was still trying to run away from things he didn't want to face, but they _made_ him want to face his demons down. The majority of things he'd done, the places he had gone, were because of this all-encompassing _adoration _for the universe and all that it contained.

Rose shrugged underneath his grip bringing him back to the time at hand. He abruptly let go of her and she glanced at him uncertainly. He opened his mouth, not knowing what he was going to say when a tall figure moved up to her shoulder. He automatically glanced at the person and received his second shock that day.

Looking back at him with a slightly possessive glare was his 10th incarnation. After a brief second, the Doctor felt his grin explode back into view as he took in that _hair_, those sideburns and the favorite brown suit. "Hello!" He waved at his younger self and Rose, laughing a little as the younger Time Lord placed a protective arm around her shoulders. "I'd shake your hands or hug you but I think that would create one of them time things that we don't want to clean up. It was good seeing you though!"

He saw Ten's eyes widen in recognition before he turned and disappeared into the crush of natives, hearing Rose's question, "Was that…?" and his younger self's slightly befuddled reply of, "Yeah."

And he laughed in delight and in sadness (_how could he have forgotten?)_, all the way back to the TARDIS.

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_Who do I love? I love thee, who revieweth me._


	15. Lips

[The 13th]

_**Lips**_

There was something about his mouth; those slightly chapped lips, the thin dark frown he could level at a body, the happy and wide grin he would bestow upon others and then that special and gentle smile that she hoped was reserved just for her.

Maybe it was because that mouth had a tendency to taste things, that tongue coming out to lick at walls, radios, trees, practically anything. _Except her_.

Or maybe it was what came out of that mouth in his effervescent and carrying voice. Unintelligible streams of equations of what made the universe turn, trivia from different times and places, quotes from the great (and not so great) plays and movies of Earth and even the occasional tidbit about himself which is what she lived for.

Staring at him as he baby-talked a fledgling Kyrosite, which to her looked like a blob of goo but apparently it would grow up into one of the galaxy's top scholars standing 10 feet tall, she was entranced by the way he cooed at the thing, the way his mouth moved around the nonsensical words he was saying.

Without realizing it, she smacked her lips, imagining what it would be like to just touch her mouth to his (when not being possessed). Abruptly she realized the Doctor's attention had snapped from the blob to her mouth, eyes slightly glazed and a flush spreading over his face.

She smiled a purely feminine smile. Looked like she wasn't the only one with a fascination for a pair of lips.

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_I hope your mama taught you some manners…hint. hint._


	16. Stirred

(THE FOURTEEN)

_**Stirred**_

The loud and raucous bar was filled with species from all corners of the universe, consuming the varied beverages that added up to that nice buzz one looked for in getting a drink. There were Judoons and Hexcars sitting at a crowded table, no doubt trading bits of police tips to each other. There was a Grassi Priest playing pool with a Lorcan whom he pitied as the Grassi were known to be poor losers and even worse winners, of the violent kind.

The TARDIS had been hiccuping and he'd manage to land himself on a friendly sort of planet. He'd gone out on a walk as she had some rest and recovered. This bar had been the only lively place in the quiet neighborhood he'd landed and he'd wandered in, just wanting to see what it was like.

Heading towards the bar, he felt a double-thump to his hearts as he took in the gorgeous blonde who was currently smiling widely at an elephant-nosed creature's joke. There was a bit of pink tongue sticking out between her blazing white teeth and he felt himself revert a little to pre-Time Lord genes as he stared at it. Making his way to the bar, he sat next to Elephant Nose, not taking his eyes off of her.

Sensing his gaze, her brown eyes met him, humor still sparkling in her gaze. "Hullo, stranger." Her voice was husky and sweet, bringing back memories of sitting next to a green fire as he sipped down molasses-sweetened chocolate and he smiled at the thought and at her.

"The name's Doctor, _the_ Doctor." He didn't know where that emphasis had come from but he mentally shrugged and decided to roll with it.

"Okay, 'Doctor, _the_ Doctor', what'll it be?" She was amused and it showed, that pink tongue coming out to greet him once more. She leaned forward, her hair falling over her shoulder.

Unable to help himself, he too leaned forward until his lips were next to her ear and he whispered, "I'll have a martini, shaken, not stirred."

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_I'll have a review, written not spoken._


	17. Thank You

**Thank You**

It figured that the thing he'd be most aggravated about was _his_ arrogance, his assumption of total control over others' lives. He could see what Martha had been frustrated about, why Joan had refused to travel with him and why Donna had been afraid of him that Christmas they'd first met.

Who was _he_ to determine whether he should stay or go? Who'd given _him_ the right to say that he was too dangerous to be kept around, that he had to be locked away in a whole other _universe_ to protect "the greater good"?

And what about Rose? She'd spent god knew how many years looking for the bastard and he just _dumps_ her on Dårlig Ulv-Stranden without a by-your-leave, foisting off the lesser (_oh, __he __knows __what __she__'__s __thinking_) version of him and goes parading off to the next great adventure.

He was vaguely aware that he was being a little unfair (there was Donna's near future to think about) but he couldn't seem to help it. It was the human in him.

He'd spent a sleepless night sitting on the front steps of the Norwegian motel, looking out at the stretch of sand and sea as the sun had blearily made its way above the horizon. The mist had dissipated and the wind drew long cold fingers through his hair and jacket.

Rose had pulled away from him once the TARDIS' engines had faded to silence and had treated him with supreme politeness, as if he was a visitor not the man she had been passionately in love with. Because he wasn't. "I need a little time alone," she'd said before falling back to walk behind him and Jackie. Time was something he had no control over anymore.

Jackie, who wasn't known as the compassionate type, took pity on him. She'd hustled them to the motel, away from the biting wind and bustled about until both he and Rose had warmed up and been put to their beds.

But, unable to sleep in a room that was on solid ground and surrounded by carpets and walls, he'd gone outside to contemplate the skyline and what his counterpart had done to him, to _them_. Was this feeling of unimportance what people felt when he turned his back and ran? Introspection wasn't something he was used to but somehow, being grounded without a way to escape, being part-human and, most of all, being here with Rose_,_ made him see the need to reevaluate his philosophy in life. His old ways weren't going to work here.

He heard the door creak open behind him and a tentative step on the porch. He didn't need to turn his head to look. He knew it was her. After a moment, she sat down next to him and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her beautiful mouth broke into a shy smile and his single heart picked up its beat. So he wasn't perfect. But it was worth trying.

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**Author's Note: Yay! One more! :)**


	18. Same Ol' Thursday

**Author's Note: From a prompt on LJ ****arliddian**_**"just another Thursday night"**_**. As a forward warning this is my first crack!fic, something that I don't write often (actually, ever). If you like, let me know. If you don't, you can let me know too :P**

**Same Ol' Thursday**

Socks were a funny thing. They were like mittens for feet. In fact, they were mittens for feet. Toes were hidden and your feet became one mass of…foot. Experimentally, Calvin wiggled his toes. Ah, just as he thought, one couldn't tell that there were separate digits moving.

His eyes glanced at the drivel on the small screen: another reality competition, currently featuring a fifteen-year-old warbling lyrics of things that she shouldn't even know about yet. Tipping his head back, he finished the last of his beer, a satisfied burp shortly following.

Yup, typical Thursday evening for good ol' Cal Higgins.

Semi-engrossed in what was on the television and his thoughts on socks, he didn't notice the strange noise filling the room until an impossible wind picked up in his living room, flinging yesterday's newspaper in his face. Swiping at the paper while struggling to get out of his favorite armchair, he missed the materialization of a blue police box.

Finally succeeding in getting the paper off his face, Cal listed a little as he stared incredulously at the massive thing that had landed in the middle of his living room. It stood eight feet high, looking old yet new all at once.

Before he could do more than realize that it was a police box, the door swung open and a blonde head peaked out. Her hair whipped back and forth as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes finally swept over his still figure and lit up.

"Doctor!" She bound out of the blue box and ran at the shocked Cal head on. Leaping at him, they fell back on his armchair in a tangle of arms and legs. Cal couldn't breath. For several reason, the main one being that she had just knocked the air out of his lungs. Second and third to that was the beautiful girl herself and the way she was wrapping herself around him, running her hands through his hair and peppering his face with kisses.

"Silly Doctor," she kept muttering as her small teeth caught hold of the lobe of his ear and nibbled. Cal couldn't help the moan that escaped as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He found that his hands were on her small waist and wandering up her back and to the front of her jumper, pulling up the cotton to touch the smooth skin underneath. The sigh from her lips hit his face in a warm rush that had blood rushing down to the area that she was currently grinding against.

Blindly, he sought her mouth with his own which she gave eagerly, her tongue meeting his. He didn't care if this was some drunken dream so long as it continued.

Her mouth was delicious and her breasts, he thought as he finally succeeded in getting her shirt off, were glorious, all dusky rose and cream. So caught up in the lust of it all, neither noticed the strange compression sound that echoed through the room.

"Rose!" With a gasp, the small blonde was ripped off Cal's lap and he was left holding onto cool air and staring into an angry face that looked remarkably like his own. As the twin gazes met, the other's eyes widened slightly in surprise. The other "Cal" was wearing a cop uniform and pointing a threatening finger in his face while attempting to push the blonde behind him.

"Doctor?" The blonde (Rose?) asked the cop uncertainly, her eyes flicking between him and Cal who sat in the armchair, arms held up to ward off any attack. "I…I thought he was you," the soft voice was placating, the girl making an attempt to cover her naked chest and the obvious flush of her body. "When you left to get an outfit, the TARDIS brought me here and he was here and he looks like you and you'd—we'd just—I was already—"

The Doctor cut across her stumbling explanation. "When I said role-play I wasn't thinking a dingy sweater with The Family Ness on it!" The tone was clearly possessive and Rose seemed to catch it as she smiled, though she tried to hide it, catching her lip with her teeth.

Cal was momentarily distracted until the last bit caught up with him. "Oi! It's a classic!"

"Whatever." The Doctor rolled his eyes and turned back to the police box, ushering Rose in front of him. "Parallel universe, Rose. Or something. Let's go before anything implodes."

The girl stumbled ahead of the Doctor but took a moment to lean around the lanky man and wink at the stunned Calvin. The Doctor didn't miss this and with a growl, he swept her up in his arms and through the doors of the police box which de-materialized almost immediately, leaving echoes of its existence behind.

Slowly, Cal look around his small apartment, noticing that the television was still playing that horrible show, random papers were strewn about and empty beer bottles littered his coffee table. Same old, same old. Except he would never think of Thursday the same way ever again.


	19. A Twirr is a Twirr

**Author's Note: This is from a prompt from who_in_whoville. I'm not going to say what it is because it would give it away! Hope you like!**

**A Twirr is a Twirr**

"Rose! The lifespan of a twirr is nearly half that of a mayfly on Earth! I don't want you to get attached to one only to have it die on you!" The Doctor's hands were pulling his hair in frustration as his companion squatted down next to a large rock and cooed at the animal she was currently coaxing out of it's hiding place.

The blonde ignored him and carefully brought her hands out from under the rock. Just barely filling her cupped hands, was a small round pink and purple furry thing known as a "twirr". The Doctor rolled his eyes heavenward. Of _course_Rose would be taken with an animal that was in her favorite color.

"Oh!" His attention went back to the girl who had straightened a bit in surprise, staring at the two creatures that now sat in her hands; one was fully purple and the other was fully pink. Bringing them up to her face, she could hear small mewing noises coming from the pair and her smile brightened. She met the Doctor's gaze, her eyes pleading.

His hearts missed a couple beats and he crumbled inside. Damn those eyes. Sighing, trying to at least make it _look_like he was putting up a fight, he waved his hand in her general direction. "Ok fine, but if these die tomorrow, don't come crying to me."

Her smile turned into a full-on happy grin, tip of her pink tongue and all as she followed him back to the TARDIS. They both knew that even if she came crying to him, he would hug and comfort her all the same.

*.*

The Doctor wandered down the TARDIS corridor on his way to the kitchen when he saw a blast of gold light escape from under Rose's bedroom door. Concerned, he pulled the door open, yelling, "Rose?"

With a yelp, she turned to him. He stared up at her as she stood on top of her bed, obviously trying to get away from something. Noting his befuddlement she pointed in the direction of the twirr cage. He followed her hand and felt his eyes widen in astonishment and his mouth drop open in surprise and wonder.

The cage which only a few hours ago had had only two twirrs was now filled with ten, ranging all along the pastel spectrum. He looked back at Rose who still stood on the bed, both hands now fisted against her mouth as she looked back at him, equally bewildered. "I didn't know they reproduced so quickly but I guess considering their lifespan, their genetic drive for survival would be much more amplified. But," he paused as he moved towards the cage and crouched down, "it shouldn't be so crowded…the original twirrs should at least be dead."

"Um…Doctor? They did die and I took them out, but I think that there's a problem." Rose's voice sounded strained.

Glancing back up at her before turning his attention back to the twirrs, he just barely caught the beginnings of a golden glow around one of them, one that, now that he was looking a bit closer, looked older and sicker than the rest. "What?" he managed to get out as the twirr suddenly burst with golden energy which surrounded it in a sphere, threads wounding in and out of the little creature. "What?" After a few moments, the light dissipated and he was left staring at a twirr that looked all brand new.

"What?" He exclaimed a third time, jumping up from his position to stare at the twirr cage, at Rose and back to the twirr cage. Incredulous and his mind running through a thousand possibilities, consequences and randomness, the only thought that could escape was:

"_Regenerating pets?"_


	20. Trick or Treat

**Trick or Treat**

The Doctor was taking an uncharacteristic nap in his little-used bedroom when his semi-slumber was interrupted by a crisp knock at the door. He thought about turning his back to the door and just ignoring it when the knock came again. Grumbling to himself, he slowly got out of bed, feeling the creaks in his 900-year-old mind and opened the door, a scowl on his face and an exasperated "Rose" on his lips when he registered the sight before him.

Instead of his normal pink jumper and jean clad companion, a raven-haired, scarlet-clad, curvy _sorceress_ filled the doorway, one arm leaning casually against the door frame, so as to reveal her bounteous offerings. He didn't get past "R-" before the woman stepped closer to him, her arm coming down to wind its way around his neck and bring her petite self just that much closer to him.

Time Lord senses went into overload as the acceleration of his hearts nearly tore them out of his chest, his blood rushed to key parts of his body and his breath completely abandoned his lungs. Her red lips turned up in a knowing smile as her normally warm hazel eyes turned sultry.

He'd brought his hands up automatically to steady her but thought better of it and they just stayed hovering just shy of touching her and he honestly couldn't spare any further brain units in figuring out what to do with them other than awkwardly hold them in the air.

"Hello, Doctor." Did she just pitch her voice lower? Her sweet voice had become a velvet glove that seemed to caress his entire being.

"Hel—" he croaked, cleared his throat and tried again. "Hello...Rose...what are you doing?"

She smiled and he felt her other hand touch his chest and slowly move up, sending tingles where she touched. He held his breath, not wanting to ruin the moment, whatever that moment was, and waited for her to reach his face.

Just when he thought he was going to die with anticipation, her hand lifted off of him and came into view. Disappointed and distracted, he automatically glanced at it and felt a rare embarrassed flush make its way up his neck as he realized what she was holding: a plastic jack-o-lantern.

She laughed as she let go of him and moved her way past him into his room and to the bowl of sweets she'd set in his room earlier. As she reached the desk, she turned and grinned at him, back to his normal lovely Rose. "Trick or Treat?"

*.*

**We all know what _my_ candy is… :points down:**


	21. Graffiti

From dw100 challenge "paint"

The paint had appeared in his hand inexplicably.

One moment, he'd been skateboarding around the corner and the next he'd found himself with a brush in one hand and a can of whitewash in the other, staring at an odd feature of the Powell Estates.

Slowly, his feet brought him in front of the thing. Shrugging, the child sat in front of it, legs crossed and wide eyes wandering up the length of the blue wall. He had an urge to write something.

Picking up the brush, he dipped it and wrote two strange but unexplainably profound words:

_Bad__Wolf_


	22. Snowball

**SNOWBALL  
><strong>  
>He hadn't expected it to end like this. He lay behind the makeshift wall, feeling the winter chill slip through any opening it could find to brush cold fingers across his skin. His arm ached from trying to defend himself and he shivered in the face of his imminent demise.<p>

Who'd known his sweet Rose could be a fierce and arrogant warrior when faced with an inferior (he winced at the thought but knew there was no use in denying it) opponent?

The day had started almost magically with the wonder of a pure white world greeting the Doctor that morning. He'd woken up earlier than Rose as was usual and had to squint at the doubled reflective power of the rising sun. Looking out, he'd felt his mouth drop open in surprise at the sight.

The grounds surrounding the Tyler estate were covered in brilliance and it was something that _these _eyes had yet seen. He'd leaped out of bed, dragging on a dressing gown, not dissimilar to the one he'd worn that long ago Christmas where he'd found a satsuma (even now he was known to keep a fruit or two in his pockets), and ran out, waking up a bleary-eyed Rose with excited shouts of "Snow! Snow! Snow!"

He'd thought to put on some old boots at the last moment and then had burst through the front doors of the guesthouse that had become their home. He'd grinned crazily, standing ankle-deep in vapor composed primarily of water exposed to temperatures of or below in zero degrees Celsius, feeling the light winter sun beat upon his head and just feeling _exuberant_.

And then he'd been hit from behind by a very densely packed and _cold _snowball.

He'd turned in shock toward the front doors to see his beautiful girlfriend grinning evilly at him as she'd bent down to gather more snow in her gloved hands.

With that a fierce battle had commenced.

He'd taken many hits and given very few in return. One would think that her blonde hair would be a hindrance, but no, she knew exactly how to use those golden locks to her advantage. It wasn't very fair, considering that his concentration was basically nil when she was near.

He tried convincing himself that because of the Time Lord DNA he did have, he would be able to come out on top of this. Taking a deep breath, he felt his faltering confidence bolster a little. What did he have to fight with? He looked around. Snow of course!

Getting onto his knees, he eagerly packed the fluffy powder together. He eyed the ball that had become the size of his hand. He shook his head. Too small. He set it down again to make it about the size of his head.

"Ah ha!" Without warning and to his complete astonishment, handfuls of very wet snow was shoved under his collar.

Yelling in surprise, he fell forward, smashing his monstrous creation. He scrambled to get onto his back, hindered by the petite woman who was still trying to get as much snow into his pajamas as possible. "I surrender! I surrender!" he cried out before giving into ridiculousness of it all and collapsing back into laughter.

Rose lifted her head up enough to meet his eyes, her own sparkling with mischievousness, her laughter mixing with his. "Good, because I think it's time we get some breakfast."

He managed a nod before her lips met his.


	23. If Doctor Who was a Daytime Talkshow

**Author's Note: I'm going to apologize right off. I don't know where this came from so don't even bother to ask. I do truly love the Doctor and Rose. Please believe me.**

A blank screen flicks to life.

Onscreen is a black background with the words "The Terry Larger Show" displayed in prominent flashing lights. The words fade into a shot panning down to show an eager audience of various species—from Sontaran to Geltf; human to Slitheen—all awaiting the latest special guest.

A booming voice is heard: _"__And __let__'__s __welcome __your __host, __TERRRY __LARRRGERRR!__" _

The audience claps and cheers as a gray-haired man walks in, stage left, waving at the crowd with both hands, grinning widely, his spectacles reflecting the show lights above. He takes a seat at the pair of hover chairs situated at the center of the stage.

"_Good __evening __folks! __Tonight ,__we__'__ll __explore __the __meaning __of __life __and __the __evolution __o f__stars__…" _he trails off on a chuckle, waving his hand at the booing audience.

_"__I__'__m __joking __of __course! __What __I __have __in __store __for __you __tonight __will __surprise __you, __scandalize __you __and __just __send __plain __old __dirty __delight __down __your __bones, __because __tonight, __ladies __and __gentlemen, __tonight, __is __a __treat!__"_

A light turns on behind two thin screens, backlighting a petite and obviously female silhouette. An appreciative murmur runs through the male gender of the crowd.

"_Our __special __guest __tonight __has __been __known __as __a __Defender __of __the __Earth, __the __Valiant __Child _and _the __omnipotent __Bad __Wolf! __Ladies __and __gentleman, __I __give __you __the __one, __the __only__…__Rose __Marion __Tyler!__"_

The noise in the studio is deafening, the audience stamping their feet in approval while they also cheer and clap as the two doors open off to the side and a very pretty and blonde woman walks in, waving at the audience, a beautiful smile setting flutters to hearts (or organs that pass for hearts in some species).

She meets Terry halfway to the chairs and hugs him and he escorts her to her chair. She pauses just before she sits in the other available seat and suddenly turns back to the audience, arms up in a clawing action as a golden light flashes around her and the audience gasps at the great dark wolf that is seen for a moment before the light fades and it's just Rose standing there and laughing. The audience loves it and cheers even louder.

Rose takes her seat and beams at Terry. _"__Well, __Rose, __as __always, __you __bring __such __beauty __in __any __dimension __or __world __you __visit.__"_

"_Oh, __Terry, __you__'__re __so __sweet! __But __you__'__ve __gotta __realize __you __say __that _any _time __I __come __on __your __show.__"_

"_That__'__s __because __it__'__s __true __dear. __It__'__s __been __some __time __since __you__'__ve __graced __our __show __though. __I __think __the __last __time __you __were __on, __it __was __before __the __Doctor, __wasn__'__t __it?__"_ Rose nods in confirmation. _"__I __believe __we __were __still __at __the __Jimmy __and __Mickey __stage, __huh?_"

She nods again as her nose wrinkles in silent distaste while behind them, on the vid screen, flashes several photos of Rose with a mean looking, slightly drugged guy and looking sad (the audience sighs) then a bored Rose with a goofy, slightly blank-eyed black guy (laughter breaks out). She smiles self-deprecatingly. _"__Yeah, __but __right __after __that, __I __got __a __real __man__—__or __should __I __say __Time __Lord!__" _Cheers break out as pictures of a tall brooding man in a leather jacket flash onscreen.

"_Whoa,__is __he __a __hottie! __You__'__d __better __thank __the __stars __I__'__m __not __omni,__" _he says with a wink to Rose. _"__I__'__ve __got __something __special __for __you __tonight __honey. __Let __in: __the __Doctor!__" _ This is directed at the same doors that Rose had walked in earlier.

There's an audible gasp as in walks the same brooding man from the earlier photos. Rose had jumped up as soon as he had appeared, shock clear across her face.

"_Rose!__"_ His face turns from frowning to a ridiculous smile and he runs to meet the girl who's making her own way to him. There's a heartfelt gush from the crowd as they hug and then Terry is clapping his hands to get the two people's attention.

They break apart and speak over each other in an excited effort to explain to each other.

"_I thought you'd died in—"_

"_So did I! I mean regener—"_

"_I saw you! All that flashing light—" _

"_Let__'__s __not __get __into __the __semantics __of __it __all,__" _Terry interrupts them, _"__Why __don__'__t __we __just __appreciate __that __it__'__s __happening?__"_

Rose and the ninth regeneration of the Doctor hold hands as they each take a seat, an extra seat having appeared for the Doctor. _"__Tell __us __a __little __about __yourselves.__"_

The Doctor's face shutters as he looks around the room with a mild glare, making it evidence to the audience that he is not a talkative man. _"__I__'__m __not __a __talkative __man,__"_ he says. It's like he's reading minds.

Terry stares at him for a second, nonplussed, before he recovers and turns to Rose, a smile pasted on his face. _"__Rose? __Can __you __tell __us __about __the __last __time __you __guys __saw __each __other?__"_

Her gaze goes distant as she falls back into the memory. _"__The __on__'__y __thin__' __that __I __can __really __rem__'__mber __s__'__that __he __kissed __me.__"_ The audience sighs and the Doctor's face changes red while Rose smiles up at him, her love obvious.

The moment is broken though when a skinny bloke in a brown suit crashes through the same doors that the Doctor had entered. _"__Rose! __My __only __Rose! __Thy __golden __hair __glows; __the __North __Wind __blows, __for __thee, __oh __distant __Rose!__" _the man with great hair shouts with extreme flair, falling before her on his knees. The audience breaks out into excited murmurs as the Ninth Doctor jumps up and glares at the supplicating man.

"_Who __is __this?__"_ his voice is a dark fury, the northern accent settling into a deep brogue. Terry has disappeared off to the side, gesturing to the cameras to keep rolling, obviously elated at the unasked for drama.

Rose can't seem to speak, her wide eyes shifting from the suited man to the leather-clad Doctor. The man on his knees falls forward, his hands reaching blindly out to grasp her boots. She finds her voice, _"__Doctor?__"_

"_Yes! __That __is __I! __It __has __been __long __since __I__'__ve __gazed __upon __your __beautiful __face! __I __am __almost __unworthy! __There __were __times __when __I __did __unspeakable __things __and __it __went __wrong, __so __so __wrong!__"_ he trails off on a wail. Rose has at this point gotten onto her knees next to him and tried to pull him up but he fights her and lays on the ground, one arm thrown across his face.

"_Rose? __Who __is __he?__"_ She smiles up at the Doctor a bit sheepishly.

"_This is you, in your tenth regeneration."_

"_What?__" _Nine is completely offended. _"__I__'__m __a __blitherin__' __overly __dramatic __and __toothpick __thin __crybaby?__"_

She glares up at him but then glances at the sobbing Tenth Doctor and finds that she can't actually disagree. _"__Yeah. __Except __he __wasn__'__t __quite __like __this __when __I __knew __him.__"_

"_Wait, __you __mean __we__…__separate?__"_ The hurt is evident in Nine's voice.

Rose stands up and puts her arms around him. _"__Well, __yes __and __no.__"_

"_Get __your __hands __off __of __her, __you __jumper-wearing, __leather-clad, __know-it-all!__"_ The audience jumps to its feet as one at the thunder-like roar fills the studio. In strides a blue-suited skinny bloke who looks strangely exactly like the Tenth Doctor who is still blubbering on the floor.

Rose and Nine jump apart and her mouth drops open as she sees the twin. _"__John? __You __knew __I __was __coming __here!__"_

John stops on the other side of Ten (who can't seem to stop crying and moaning about how guilty and alone he feels). _"__I __know, __but __when __you__'__re __born __in __battle, __full __of __blood, __anger __and __revenge, __I __couldn__'__t __just __stand __by __while __you __met __up __with __your __ex!__"_

She stares at him. _"__But __he__'__s __you!__"_

"_We __may __have __some __genes __that __are __similar __but __that__'__s __about __it! _I _at __least __can __tell __you __how __I __feel!__"_

There's an unmanly gasp from Nine and then Ten has moved enough to grab at John's pant leg in an effort to pull himself up and an nearly cheerful sound is heard from him: _"__Metty!__"_

John stumbles and looks down in disbelief and slight disdain at Ten. _"__You! __Get __off __of __me!__" _He tries to shake the grabby Doctor off. "_You __abandoned __me! __Do __you _know _how __long __it __took __me __to __get __through __that?__" _

He tried to kick at Ten who only ended up tugging harder and pulling John off his feet. Rose reaches out automatically and in an effort to keep his footing, his hand catches Rose by her hair and pulls her down with him. A cry of pain is heard and suddenly Nine has jumped in and grabbed the blue-suited Doctor, yelling, _"__Don__'__t __you __hurt __Rose!__"_ before landing a punch to the man's nose. John returns the favor (forcefully) and chaos ensues.

Terry finally comes back on screen, surprise evident on his face. He shoots a fearful glance over his shoulder as a chair is heard breaking. _"__And __that__'__s __all __folks! __In __this __edition __of__ '__The __Terry __Larger __Show!__"_

The screen blinks out.


	24. Hum

_Something of you still taut  
>still tugs still pulls,<br>a rope that trembled  
>hummed between us.<br>Hummed, love, didn't it.  
>Love, how it hummed.<em>

The gray mist of the morning clings to the boardwalk, the cold seeping through the thin soles of the slippers that she hadn't thought to change in her sudden urgency to come here. Her hair is a mess, black mascara painting circles under her eyes, her pajamas a thin protection in the chill but she doesn't care. For she'd been woken up on a scream and a need to find _him_.

Except she didn't know how because he had _left _her here, grounded her for "her own good", though he hadn't said the words. She'd thought it was a routine dirty-laundry drop at her mother's but then she'd come back to find that the blue box had disappeared along with the elusive Doctor. She hadn't wanted to believe it at first because she was _Rose _and he'd said he'd never do that to her: abandon her without a word. But he had.

And she hated him for it.

Or she wants to hate him, but can't.

She finds herself standing in freezing weather, looking up at the London Eye, her throat still locked in the scream of terror that had nearly suffocated her because she very much does not hate him. If Jackie had been there, she'd have tried to stop Rose from running out but Jackie was out and it was just Rose because the Doctor had left her and it was up to Rose to find out what was happening—all on her own.

She stands there, red-eyed, sad and afraid, staring at the great wheel. She doesn't know why she's there, only that she followed a _feeling_, a _knowledge_ within her that she needs to be here. She shivers under the jacket she'd thought to slip on at the last minute and watches as the first rays of sun lighten the gray up above.

*.*

He'd thought it'd get easier, this missing-Rose thing, but he was wrong. It hurts like it's never hurt before with all the companions he's had because she _wasn't _"just a companion". She's always been something more. He can't put a word to it or even five million words though he tries, when he finds himself in front of her door, fingertips lightly touching the wood.

Friend, lover of his soul, his third heart, precious, human, fragile, pretty, yellow, pink, lovely, amazing, mate, compassionate, love, the space between the stars, _inishar_, his lifeline, the pulse of his existence, beautiful, _his_.

But he couldn't keep her. _The Valiant Child, who will die in battle so very soon._ The sharp and biting fear that had stabbed him and made home in his bones at the Beast's pronouncement had driven him to do what he'd thought he'd never do with Rose.

Leave her.

He'd hated his deceit, fighting down the bitter taste that had threatened to crawl up his throat. She'd gone out those TARDIS doors, one last time, smiling at him over her shoulder. The doors had shut and he'd stood there for a full minute, staring, fighting with himself. He'd been selfish for too long, keeping her when she couldn't be kept, making promises he couldn't keep. She should've died a hundred times already and by the grace of whatever god that was out there, she'd lived. He wasn't going to play around with that any longer.

Starting up the TARDIS engines had been the hardest moment in his life.

But he'd done it so she could live.

And now, as he fights his way into the old girl's doors, one hand futilely trying to hold back the flow of blood from the hole in his chest, he cries because he could not do more before he dies. This wound will not heal and he will lose himself in the cleansing fire of regeneration. But first he must get out of here. His hand is slippery on the TARDIS door, the fingers missing the key hole. The shouts of those who hunt him can be heard in the brush and he curses before the door finally gives way.

Gasping he makes his way to the console, flipping the switch and setting the dial for any time that isn't now, any place that isn't here. The familiar engines start up and he tries to make it to the jump seat but fails, his vision going black before he reaches it.

*.*

Hours she'd stood there. The sun had fought it's way through the clouds and warmed her enough to loosen her hold on her jacket. Staring blankly at the Thames, she ignores the increased morning traffic, busy people with busy lives. She pays no attention to the people who pass by, giving the blonde woman in her nightclothes strange glances. She ignores it all because she's focused her entire being onto that call that she'd felt earlier this morning. It was as if someone had reached inside her and pulled tight on a string without her knowing before they suddenly let it loose, the note jangling wildly inside of her.

But it's come to nothing. What had been a full orchestra in the wee hours of the morn has faded to the tinkle of a triangle and she's afraid to know what that means.

She blinks back tears. There have been far too many of those of late. Her fingers are cramped around her arms and she loosens them carefully. The cars and people start to register on her as she comes back from across the galaxy and the not-now. Pulling one hand through her hair, she sighs and makes her way back to her flat.

It's when she's nearly to the cross street that she hears an unbelievable sound. It's the engines of the TARDIS and it's landing where she'd been and these thoughts barely register before she's already started running back in the direction she came, slippers slapping against concrete, reminiscent of that first time she'd run down this street with him.

Her face is in a smile because even though she should be pissed, she can't help but be excited to see him, but there's no one coming out of the blue box and Rose remembers screaming in terror this morning.

Her heart in her throat she reaches the TARDIS and lays her hand on the door, trying to figure out how to get in. A moot point of worry as the door swings inward, as if expecting her. She smiles tentatively upwards, not sure how to communicate with the ship but wanting to let her know she appreciates it all the same.

Then the darkness registers on her and the silence rings in her ears. "Doctor?" she calls out, stepping up to the console and then she sees him.

He's lying on his side on the floor, a dark stain around him. Her knees collapse and her hands aren't completely gentle as she turns him over to see his precious face bleached of color. She weeps because he can't be dead (_why hadn't he regenerated?) _and lays her head against his cheek, his face, as always, cool to the touch, colder. And she cries and puts her arms around him because this is what they do, they _hug_ and the world turns out all right.

She's too caught up in the grief, the prospect of a world without a Doctor out there _somewhere_ even if not with her, to pay attention to the fact that a glow has started around them. Golden strands of Time and unnamable essence leaks out from her to him, loops and swirls in complex patterns, over and under, around and about, binding and tying an unbreakable knot with a flourish.

And he gasps, the breath of life, and it's a word on his lips, the last and the first, "Rose!"

Abruptly she stops crying and pulls back to look at him, his brown eyes are open and drinking her in and she can't help but laugh because she's a mess, her leftover mascara running, her nose runny and her eyes red, but she can see it in his eyes, to him, she's the definition of beauty to him.

**Author's Note: Prompt from Challenge 94 lj comm then_theres_us. This will be my last post on this story. Thank you to all who have read and reviewed and favorited, etc.! I will return, do not worry, with a "Stuff of Legends Part 2" but it will probably be called something else. I still need some place to dump my Doctor/Rose drabbles. This one, I feel, is getting to lengthy in chapters. **

**If you've come this far without speaking up, please show your appreciation (or non-appreciation) by leaving this starving author some kind (or not) words!**


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